the four steps of sensory evaluation:red wines...color can also tell you things about the age and...

UNDERSTANDING WINEClass 2 Tasting

THE FOUR STEPS OF SENSORY EVALUATION: Red Wines

Before you start the tasting:

1. Make sure you have the Tasting Checklist you downloaded and printed out from theIntroduction to this class. If you don’t have the checklist, please use the navigation bar atthe top of this page to return to the Intro, where the download link is located.

2. Fill in the top portion of the Tasting Checklist. This information helps you remember thewines and also provides clues to how the wine will taste:

• Producer: the name of the winery or chateau

• Growing Area: the region where the grapes were grown; probably Beaujolais and California for these two wines

• Vintage: the year the grapes were harvested

• Alcohol: the alcohol content is given as a percentage

• Price: the cost of the bottle or glass in a store or restaurant

3. Pull the corks from your two bottles of wine, a Beaujolais-Villages from France and aCabernet Sauvignon from California. Pour each wine into a separate glass, filling each glass about 1/3 full.

4. To remember which glass is which, you might want to place the two glasses side-by-side,keeping the Beaujolais-Villages on the left and the Cabernet Sauvignon on the right. In each section of the tasting, we’ll evaluate the Beaujolais-Villages first and the CabernetSauvignon second.

This second tasting uses the 4S approach to evaluate two wines, a Beaujolais-Villages fromFrance and a Cabernet Sauvignon from California. The focus of the tasting is tannins. The tworeds are at opposite ends of the tannin spectrum; one wine has light tannins and the other hasheavier tannins.SEE: CLARITY , Color, Intensity, Legs

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SEE: CLARITY, Color, Intensity, Legs

Because sediment takes time to form, most young red wines won’t have sediment. In older reds,sediment is normal.

EXAMINING CLARITY

1. Set your glasses on the table before you, and looking through the wines, examine them for clarity.

2. Is each wine clear, or do you see sediment in either?

3. On your tasting checklist, circle the clarity that most closely matches each wine.

SEE: Clarity, COLOR, Intensity, Legs

A wine’s color is largely determined by the grape variety (in addition to its age). Red wines rangefrom (darkest to lightest): purple » ruby red » garnet/brick » tawny/amber.

Color can also tell you things about the age and the health of a wine: A young red wine’s colorshould be darker, rather than lighter, and may have a purplish tinge to it.

Over time, the color of a red wine will evolve towards amber.

EXAMINING COLOR

Beaujolais

1. Pick up your glass of Beaujolais and tilt it away from you at a 45-degree angle.

2. Look at the core -not the edge- of the wine. Make sure the backdrop is white: a napkin,tablecloth or sheet of paper all work.• What color is the wine?

• Do you detect a purplish tinge, indicating that it's a very young wine?

3. Circle the color on your tasting checklist that most closely describes your wine.

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Cabernet Sauvignon

1. Now pick up your glass of Cabernet and tilt it away from you at a 45-degree angle.

2. Look at its core. • What color is it?

• Is there any purple in its color or is the color ruby? Are your two wines from the same vintage?

3. Circle its color on your tasting checklist.

COMPARISON

• Are your two wines the same color?

• In general, Beaujolais tends toward purple while Cabernet Sauvignon tends towardruby. The differences in color are due, in large part, to the different grape varieties andthe age difference between the two wines.

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SEE: Clarity, Color, INTENSITY, Legs

Intensity refers not to color itself, but to the concentration of color: A wine with high intensity ofcolor will be “dark”; low intensity, and it will be “pale”; in-between, “medium”.

The intensity of a wine’s color indicates how much extract (the grape solids that remain after theliquid is removed) the wine has: The higher the intensity of color, the more extract, and the moreextract, the more flavorful and full-bodied the wine is.

Given two wines made from the same grape variety, the darker, more intensely colored wine is likelyto have more concentrated flavors and fuller body than the paler, less intensely colored wine.

EXAMINING INTENSITY

Beaujolais

1. Look at your glass of Beaujolais.

2. On your tasting checklist, circle the level of intensity that best describes it.

Cabernet Sauvignon

1. Now take your glass of Cabernet and examine it.

2. Circle its intensity on the tasting checklist.

COMPARISON

• Which wine has the more intense color?

• Based on intensity, which wine would you expect to be more flavorful and full-bodied? (The more intensely colored wine will usually be more flavorful and full-bodied.)

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SEE: Clarity, Color, Intensity, LEGS

Legs are the rivulets of wine that form and flow down the inside of a wine glass after the wine has been swirled.

The more pronounced the legs and the longer they last, the higher the alcohol content and themore full-bodied the wine is.

EXAMINING LEGS

Beaujolais

1. Swirl your glass of Beaujolais for a moment and then stop.

2. Observe the legs as they form.

3. Are the legs faint and short-lived, or pronounced and long-lasting?

4. Make a note on your tasting checklist.

Cabernet Sauvignon

1. Now take your glass of Cabernet, swirl it and watch its legs form.

2. Are they faint and short-lived? Pronounced and long-lasting?

3. Note your tasting checklist.

COMPARISON

• Which wine has the longer lasting, more pronounced legs?

• Which wine would you expect to have a higher alcohol content and be more full-bodied?

• Look at each bottle’s label and find the alcohol content—it will be stated in percent by volume.

• Does the label confirm what you’ve observed? (It may not, even if you’re right; a slightmargin of error in the alcohol level is allowed on wine labels.)

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SNIFF: AROMA INTENSITY, IDENTIFICATION

SNIFF involves using your sense of smell to Identify and gauge their Intensity.

If you put your glass of Beaujolais to your nose and smell strawberry, it is because the same-ornearly the same-combination of esters that make a strawberry smell like a strawberry are alsothere in the wine.

Wine is capable of great aromatic complexity, and it is possible for a single wine to smell of manythings—for example, currant, plum, herbs, smoke and earth.

• When we smell a wine’s aromas, we begin by first judging their Intensity.

• Intensity is the answer to the question “How powerful—or faint—are the aromas?”

• Try to do the following process in a single sniff per wine; form an impression and go onto the next step. Remember that, like any skill, you will improve at this with experience.

SNIFF: AROMA INTENSITY, Identification

JUDGING INTENSITY

Beaujolais

1. Swirl and sniff the Beaujolais.

2. Are the aromas powerful? Do they pour out the glass and immediately fill your nose?

3. Are they faint, or hard to detect?

4. Circle the intensity on your tasting checklist that best describes the intensity of theBeaujolais’ aromas.

Cabernet Sauvignon

1. Swirl and sniff the Cabernet.

2. Are the aromas powerful, faint, or somewhere in between?

3. Note their intensity on your tasting checklist.

COMPARISON

• Which has the more intense aromas?

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SNIFF: Aroma Intensity, IDENTIFICATION

IDENTIFICATION

• Identification involves swirling and sniffing the wine and giving a name to each aroma.

• Of all the steps in tasting wine, identification is the most involved, and takes a bit of practice to master.

• The following guidelines will help you through the process as develop your skill at identification:

1. Use your tasting checklist - it lists many possible aromas that are characteristic ofBeaujolais and Cabernet Sauvignon, and breaks them into general categories (“Berry,”“Tree Fruit,” etc.) and specific aromas (“Strawberry”, “Cherry,” etc.).

2. Keep in mind that the order of presentation doesn’t mean that you’ll smell a wine’s aromasin this order, nor does it mean that you’ll smell aromas from every category. If you detectan aroma that isn’t on the checklist, that’s fine; go ahead and write it in.

3. You can identify an aroma by its general category or by its specific name. It’s OK if youcan only identify the general category—with some wines, that’s as close as you’ll get.

4. Limit yourself to three or four sniffs per wine. That is enough to identify the major aromaswithout suffering “nasal fatigue.”

Beaujolais

1. Swirl and sniff your Beaujolais.

2. What is the first— or the most prominent— aroma that comes to you? Try to name it.

3. Look at your checklist. Do any of the possible aromas jump off the page at you?

4. Try using free association. Memories involving sense of smell can be very strong. Does anaroma recall some past event?

• Sunday brunch » strawberry jam on toast?

• A walk in the woods after a rainstorm » moist earth?

When you can identify an aroma, jot it down on the form.

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Cabernet Sauvignon

1. Now swirl and sniff your Cabernet.

2. What is the first—or the most prominent—aroma that comes to you? Try to name it.

3. Look at your checklist. Do any of the possible aromas jump off the page at you?

4. If you are having trouble, try using free association. Memories in which your sense ofsmell was involved can be very strong. Does an aroma recall some past event?

• Horseback riding » leather, animal smells?

• Burning leaves in autumn » smoke?

When you identify an aroma, circle it on the form. Remember: limit yourself to three or four sniffs.

COMPARISON

• Look at your checklist. Do the two wines have any aromas in common?

• What are their unique aromas?

• The aromas most commonly associated with Beaujolais are red berries such as strawberry, tree fruit such as cherry and even a pleasant earthy smell.

• Aromas frequently found in Cabernet Sauvignon include black currant, black cherry,mint, tobacco and bell pepper.

• Do you prefer one wine’s aromas to the other’s?

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SIP: TASTE , Body, Flavor

SIP involves using your senses of taste, touch and smell to evaluate a wine’s Taste, Body and Flavors.

TASTE

The sense that we call “taste” has two parts:

1. A sensation of taste-sweet, sour or bitter-which is perceived by the taste buds

—and—

2. related feelings (mouthfeel) in the mouth. • Because both occur simultaneously, we do not usually think of the sensation of taste as

different from mouthfeel.

• When tasting wine, we usually perceive sweet first, followed by sour and finally bitter.

In the white wines of Class One, acidity was the dominant taste. In the red wines of thisclass, tannin will be dominant.

TASTING FOR TANNIN

Beaujolais

1. Sip, swish and spit the Beaujolais.

2. Check your mouth for the sensation of tannin. Do you detect any: • Dryness along the sides and back of the tongue?

• Astringency (a rough sensation on your tongue)?

• “Furry” sensations in the mouth?

3. Now evaluate the mouthfeel of the tannins: • Are they rough (indicating a high level of tannin)?

• Do they seem light to you (indicating a low level of tannin)?

• Are they smooth (indicating a moderate level of tannin)?

4. Note the Beaujolais's tannins on your checklist.

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Cabernet Sauvignon

1. Now sip, swish and spit the Cabernet.

2. Check your mouth for the sensation of tannin. Do you detect any drying, astringent, furry sensations?

3. Do the Cabernet’s tannins seem light to you? Smooth? Rough?


COMPARISON

• Which wine is more drying, furry or rough?

• Which wine is smoother and has lighter tannins?

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SIP: Taste, BODY, Flavor

Body is the sensation within the mouth of weight and thickness. The components in wine thatcontribute to body include alcohol, extract, sugar and tannin.

TASTING FOR BODY

Beaujolais

1. Take a sip and feel its weight and thickness as you swish it around your mouth, but don’tswallow or spit.

2. Would you describe the wine’s body as light? Medium? Full?

3. Swallow your sip and pay attention to the sensations in the back of your throat. Do youfeel any “heat” from alcohol?

4. Note the Beaujolais’s body on your checklist.

Cabernet Sauvignon

1. Swirl the Cabernet. What do its legs indicate about body and alcohol level?

2. Sip and swish the wine, feeling its weight and thickness as you do; don’t swallow or spit.

3. Is it light-bodied? Medium? Full-bodied?

4. Swallow your sip: Is there any “heat” from alcohol?


COMPARISON

• Which wine is more full-bodied?

• Which kind of body, light or full, do you find more appealing?

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SIP: Taste, Body, FLAVOR

The flavors of a wine should echo its aromas, and may also elaborate on them. When you identifya flavor in this process, underline rather than circle it on your tasting checklist.

TASTING FOR FLAVOR

Beaujolais

1. Sip the Beaujolais.

2. Do the flavors you detect match the aromas you sensed when you sniffed the wine?

3. Spit the wine and underline the flavors on the tasting checklist.

4. Repeat as necessary.

5. Do you detect flavors that you didn’t find as aromas?

6. How intense are the flavors? Note your checklist.

Cabernet Sauvignon

1. Sip the Cabernet.

2. Spit and underline the flavors on the tasting checklist.

3. Repeat as necessary.

4. Do the flavors match the aromas?

5. Do you detect flavors that you didn’t find as aromas?

6. How intense are the flavors? Note your checklist.

COMPARISON

• Look at your checklist. Do the two wines have any flavors in common?

• What are their unique flavors?

• Do you prefer one wine’s flavors to the other’s?

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SUMMARIZE: FINISH , Balance, Complexity

SUMMARIZE involves examining a wine’s Finish, Balance and Complexity, and coming to a finalevaluation of quality and appeal.

• Finish refers to the length of time a wine’s flavors linger in the mouth after swallowingor spitting and, like aftertaste, is an important indicator of quality.

• In general, the longer the finish, the better the wine.

EVALUATING FINISH

Beaujolais

1. Sip and swallow the wine, paying attention to the length of time the flavors linger. • Is it a “short” finish? Do the flavors disappear abruptly, within about 10 seconds?

• Is it a “long” finish? Do the flavors linger for 45 seconds or more?

Circle your impressions of aftertaste and finish on your tasting checklist.

Cabernet Sauvignon

1. Sip and swallow the wine, paying attention to the length of time the flavors linger. • Is it a “short” finish? Do the flavors disappear abruptly, within about 10 seconds?

• Is it a “long” finish? Do the flavors linger for 45 seconds or more?

Circle your impressions on your tasting checklist.

COMPARISON

• Which wine has the longer finish?

• Do you prefer one wine to the other?

Please note that while a “short” wine would be considered inferior in quality to a “long” wine, ashort wine may nonetheless be very enjoyable to drink.

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SUMMARIZE: Finish, BALANCE , Complexity

BALANCESimilar to a long finish, balance is a sign of quality. A wine is balanced when acidity, tannin, alcohol and sweetness are in harmony; none of the components overpower the others.

Hard Components

Tannin and acidity are “hard” components. They make the wine firmer and provide structureto wine, much like the steel girders in a building or the skeleton in a human body.

Soft Components

Alcohol and sweetness are the “soft” components. They make the wine softer, rounder, and prettier, much like flesh on a human body.

WINES OUT OF BALANCEWhen wines are out of balance, their faults are readily apparent:

1. Overly tannic reds feel rough and astringent and taste bitter.

2. Overly acidic wines feel sharp and taste very tart.

3. Overly alcoholic wines feel “hot” in the mouth and can leave a burning sensation in theback of the throat.

EXAMINING BALANCE

Beaujolais

1. Sip, swish and swallow your Beaujolais.

2. Judging by mouthfeel, ask yourself if any element seems to be too prominent:

3. Does the wine feel rough or excessively drying from too much tannin? • Puckery from too much acidity?

• Burning from too much alcohol?

• If your answer to all the above is no, the wine is balanced.

4. Record your impression of its balance on the tasting checklist.

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Cabernet Sauvignon

1. Sip, swish and swallow your Cabernet.

2. Is the wine: • Rough or excessively drying from too much tannin?

• Puckery from too much acidity?

• Burning from too much alcohol?

3. Record your impression on the tasting checklist.

COMPARISONOn the whole, Beaujolais tends to be less tannic and more acidic than Cabernet. Do you find thisto be so?

Some people prefer smoother wines, while others like a bit of tannin. What’s your preference? Doyou like the Beaujolais or the Cabernet more?

Your preference may be influenced by a food match: The Cabernet, with its fuller body, will tastebetter with heavier foods such as beef. The lighter, more delicate Beaujolais will be overwhelmedby heavy foods, but will pair beautifully with chicken, veal or salmon.

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SUMMARIZE: Finish, Balance, COMPLEXITY

A wine is considered complex if each time you take a sip, you discover another layer or nuance of flavor.

By definition, all “great” wines are highly complex. In contrast, a wine with few aromas and flavorsis called “simple.”

Wine needn’t be complex to be enjoyable - many simple wines are quite pleasurable to drink. Acomplex wine, however, will always be considered higher in quality.

EXAMINING COMPLEXITY

Beaujolais

1. Take a last sip of the Beaujolais, swish and swallow.

2. Do you notice more and more layers of aroma and flavor, or is the wine simple?

3. Circle the Beaujolais’s complexity on your tasting checklist.

Cabernet Sauvignon

1. One last time, sip, swish and swallow the Cabernet.

2. Is it complex or simple?


COMPARISON

• Which of the two wines seems more complex to you?

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FINAL EVALUATION

1. Based on aftertaste, finish, balance and complexity, which would you say is the higherquality wine?

2. Which wine would you prefer to drink?

A STUDY IN CONTRASTING STYLESThe two wines tasted were chosen because they tend to illustrate opposite ends of the spectrumin red wine styles.

Beaujolais is usually a leaner wine, lighter-bodied with lower tannins and brighter red fruit flavors.

Cabernet Sauvignon is usually fuller-bodied with heavier tannins and darker red and purple fruit flavors.

Congratulations on completing the Class 2 Tasting!

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the four steps of sensory evaluation:red wines...color can also tell you things about the age and...

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